Targeted immunotherapy is a highly developed approach for treating chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, allograft rejections, and malignancies. Immunotherapy for autoimmune disorders is also especially attractive for correcting inflammatory diseases without having to resort to immunosuppressive drug therapies. (Kochetkova, 2008).
Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the body's immune responses being directed against its own tissues, causing prolonged inflammation and subsequent tissue destruction. For instance, autoimmune disorders can cause immune-responsive cells to attack the linings of the joints or trigger immune cells to attack the insulin-producing islet cells of the pancreas, leading to rheumatoid arthritis and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus respectively.
In contrast, a healthy immune system recognizes, identifies, remembers, attacks, and destroys bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, cancer cells, or any health-damaging agents not normally present in the body. A defective immune system, on the other hand, wreaks havoc throughout the host by directing antibodies against its own tissues as well as cell-mediated immune responses.
Generally, a disease in which cytotoxic cells are directed against self-antigens in the body's tissues is considered autoimmune in nature. Such diseases include celiac disease, Crohn's disease, pancreatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and other endocrinopathies. Allergies and multiple sclerosis are also the result of disordered immune functioning.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an important autoimmune disease that inflicts roughly 0.5 to 1% of the human population worldwide. (Scott, 2010). In 2010, RA resulted in approximately 49,000 deaths globally. (Lozano, 2012). Rheumatoid arthritis results in a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. RA can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of mobility if not adequately treated. The etiology of RA is still unknown, but hereditary factors and possible infectious agents (bacteria and viruses) are assumed to participate in the disease initiation. (Kochetkova, 2008). RA is mediated by T cells, predominantly CD4+ T cells, and proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-1, are considered responsible for orchestrating pathogenesis. Id.
The design of therapeutic agents and vaccines capable of preventing or reversing chronic inflammation is of particular interest to the medical community.
Thus, the development of such a therapeutic is urgently needed in the art.
Furthermore, there is a need in the art for dietary supplements and food additives comprising elements that are beneficial to a subject's immune response.